The Karakura Clinic Couple
by White Butterfly
Summary: A series of Isshin and Masaki drabbles as there sure are not enough. Mostly unrelated and highly hypothetical concerning Masaki. Contains spoilers for chapters 186, 187
1. Brilliance

**Title: **Brilliance

**Style:** Drabble  
**Genre:** Romance  
**Rating: **PG-13  
**Theme:** October 26 2006, but I'm having your baby!!

* * *

"You know, the stars are supposed to brighter at Okayama." The goateed man took another gulp of his beer before idly tapping the ash from his cigarette.

The honey blond woman beside him took a small sip of her own bottle of beer before sparing the sky above her a glance. "The stars are pretty enough here. I'm happy enough here. Do you really want to move again?" She turned her attention to the man beside her.

"There are two hospitals here, there is no need for a small clinic that can only do minor surgeries at the most. Besides," he took a drag on the cigarette, "that Ryuuken has a monopoly on this town anyway. I'd rather not practise in a town with that materialistic bastard in it," he exhaled disgustedly, the smoke coming out in a single huff.

She burrowed her shoulder under his arm, looking up at him. "You know he's only like because of his wife. You know she's dear to him, he only wants to protect that."

He snorted, taking another sip of beer before answering, contempt in his voice, "He doesn't need money to protect her, he can do a good enough job without it."

"They want a kid soon. They'll need to money then. She's been telling me about it, telling me how they're really trying." The bottle was sipped at slowly before it was swung slowly between her knees again.

He wrapped his arm around her, his empty bottle on the tile beside him.

"The stars really are brighter at Okayama, I've been there before and they're absolutely beautiful."

"The stars are beautiful enough here Isshi-kun. I want to stay here with you, not care about how the clinic goes, have your children. I want to stay here." Her honey shaded hair pillowed her head against his shoulder as they both looked up at the skies.

"The stars are brighter here," Isshin said gradually, cigarette lingering near his lips, "more brilliant." He grinned. "I can't wait to see Ryuuken's face when he learns we'll have a kid before he does."

She looked at him, startled. He grinned again and, flicking away the butt of the cigarette, pulled her into a slow embrace, whispering,  
"You're brilliant Masaki, more brilliant than the stars will ever be."


	2. Bright blue

**Title:** Bright blue

**Style:** Drabble  
**Genre:** General, Romance  
**Rating:** G  
**Theme:** November 25 2006, electric blue

* * *

The first thing she noticed: his loud braying laugh.

And then she spotted his electric blue shirt from across the room.

Somehow, it was this fact that she always listed first when she was questioned 'Why did you notice him?'. Not his laugh, not his charismatic personality that charmed her into questioning what his job was, not his extreme self-confidence. Just the second thing she noticed about him.

His wardrobe was filled with other equally ludicrous shirts, bright and loud; his trousers and jackets the only plain commodities he owned.

He had a terrible sense of fashion, though he did look good in black.  
He had a terrible sense of humour as well, laughing just about everything off.

But he was amusing, both with his words and clothes as well as his mannerisms.

Maybe that's why she noticed him long enough to fall in love.


	3. Little things

**Title:** Little things

**Style:** Ficlet  
**Genre:** Romantic, General  
**Rating:** PG  
**Theme:** November 12 2006, little anodynes that deaden suffering

* * *

"You know, taking those pills too often will damage your health."

She nudged him with her elbow as she gulped them down with a mug of coffee. "Well, you're not my doctor are you?"

"I'm still a professional and it is my duty to make sure you don't harm yourself."

Her drained mug was set down on the table as she clung to his side."You wouldn't want your Masaki getting sad would you?" she purred.

"I'm just worried about your health. You shouldn't need to take anti-depressants." His hand found her hair and began stroking it, the other delicately manipulating chopsticks around sliced pickle.

"They're not anti-depressants. They just make make me forgetful sometimes." Her voice was muffled as it travelled through his lime green shirt.  
"Do you ever see something out the corner of your eye? A person? Or a monster?" she shuddered, fearful.  
"Because I see those fragments and it seems as if I'm going mad seeing people I know had an obituary in the paper a month ago. And then," the hand that was holding the chopsticks set them down so that it could rest on her head, pulling her into a half embrace, "the skulled monsters that chase after them. It's like a loose thread, if you try to ignore it, it annoys you; if you pull it, it unravels."

"Masaki..." his voice trailed off and his expression was set grimly as he thought maybe, he hadn't made the wisest decision.  
"Masaki, you know you have no need to be afraid." His hand stroked her hair repetitively.

"it's not that. It's just not knowing and not finding any answers. That's why I need to forget."  
She pulled him closer, burying into the shirt.

"Forget the question, surround yourself with other things. You don't need those pills to do it for you. There's me for one," he grinned at her upwards looking face. "Ichigo's another."

"Yes," she looked to the half consumed blister pack, "I suppose I don't need those little things and that little thing," she twisted her head around to look at the sound emanating from the stairs, "is enough to make me forget."


	4. Why should I leave?

**Title:** Why should I leave?

**Style:** Drabble  
**Genre:** Angst, Romance  
**Rating:** PG  
**Theme:** November 27, 2006, 'why should I leave you,  
to wound myself upon the sharp edges of the night?'

* * *

Have you ever stopped to wonder why I dropped out of the sky for you? That I suddenly appeared when you needed me most? Have you ever wondered?

We fit together so perfectly, you and I. You know we're supposed to be together for as long as you shall live. We're meant to be together, like whales belong to the sea.

I'm here to protect you, to protect you from the world outside. That's why I wish to be with you as long as you live.

I love you too, which is another reason we are meant to be together. I will sacrifice myself for you, all that I have, all that I have ever been.  
I love you that much, my Misaki.

There is no reason for me to leave you, so why should I leave your side.  
After all, it is you who will be the first one to leave, leaving me to bleed.


	5. Isshin and Masaki

**Title: **Isshin and Masaki

**Characters/Pairing:** Isshin Kurosaki/Masaki Kurosaki, Ichigo, Karin, Yuzu.  
**Style: **Drabble  
**Genre: **General/family  
**Rating: **PG  
**Theme: **18. will you still call me superman

* * *

"Dad? How'd you meet mom?" That inquisitive orange head asked, blinking curiously at his two parents, one laboriously checking that his younger sister didn't fling mashed sweet potato everywhere and the other trying to unstick rice from the bottom of the rice maker.

"Well er, Ichigo..." Isshin started waving the rice spoon around, vaguely trying to conjure up a story from somewhere.

"He came swooping down from the sky like Superman and saved me," Masaki interrupted, smiling from her task of keeping sweet potato away from the reach of Yuzu's spoon, "He was very brave."

Her son's head snapped to attention as she mentioned Superman. "What'd he save you from?" his big brown eyes questioning as he drank from his tumbler, orange juice dribbling slightly to one side.

"I saved her from a legion of menacing bad guys who were lying in wait to scoop her up and carry away with her so that they could hold her ransom to her parents. But! She had such a pretty face I had to step in and rescue from her treacherous fate." The rice spoon flew about, being gestured high in the air to the flowery apron as Ichigo's father clasped it close to his chest.

"Oh hush!" The spoon which had been now confiscated off Yuzu was pointed sharply in her husband's direction, cutting off his theatrics, "It was nothing as dramatic as that. Really," Masaki looked back to her son, "he was just doing the right thing. He stepped in to protect me, just like any knight would to save a fair maiden." She smiled before turning her attention back to the demanding mouth she was seeing to.

"So Dad's a knight?"

"What I'm no longer Superman?" Two inquisitive voices directed themselves at her, one half-screeching and the other softly innocent. She sighed at the both of them, ending up aiming the spoonful of sweet potato at her husband's apron.

"I'll talk to you later about whether you're Superman or not." Masaki ended the conversation by switching attention to the other twin who was swirling her left over potato in an act of boredom, looking set to follow her mother's example.

A few spoonfuls of sweet potato and dry rice later, as dishes were being washed, a pair of hairy arms wrapped their way around Masaki's waist.  
"So, am I still your Superman?"

"As long as you are always there to sweet talk your way into paying my parking ticket, you will be." She turned her head to peck him on the cheek, asking, "Now, will you help me with the dishes?"


	6. Little Footsteps

**Title: **Little footsteps

**Character/Pairing:** Kurosaki Isshin/Kurosaki Masaki, Ichigo  
**Style: **Drabble  
**Genre: **General  
**Rating: **G  
**Theme: **17. pitter patter goes my heart

* * *

"Do you remember the first time we met?" I ask you as the radio hums and the dishes clink around, washed by your lovely hands.

"You stopped dead still in the middle of the hallway and said you were having a heart attack." You shake your head, exasperated. "I'm sure you said that so I would start resuscitation procedures on you."

"Partially true, but it was only so the the next time I saw you I could scream 'Rape!' in the corridors."  
You shake your head slightly at that and sigh at the memories of the past. It's wonderful to see you hair move like that, as it glints and shimmies, a never ending cascade.  
You give me one of those looks though; saying you don't want me to hug you and you'd rather I just sit there and nurse my coffee. Your smile makes up for it though, relaying that you aren't really mad at me, just amused at my antics.

"It's kind of funny now, whenever I yell 'heart attack!' now, it's actually serious." I'm half joking as I tilt my coffee mug back, the warm liquid flavouring my lips.

I can smile at you and all you'll hear is the light tinkle of clashing dishes.

You smile at me and all I'll hear is darling little footsteps.


End file.
